More Than 500 Afghan Refugees Resettle In OKC Metro Area

It's been months since hundreds of Afghan refugees first arrived in Oklahoma after the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan in September.

Since then, 1,028 refugees resettled in the state in total. In total, 213 have been placed into permanent housing with 40 more to be in permanent housing in the next few weeks. 

Adam Soltani, executive director of CAIR Oklahoma, said the refugees are starting to move into more permanent housing as well as enroll in school. 

CAIR Oklahoma and Catholic Charities have been working collaboratively to make sure our new neighbors feel welcome and settled. 

They've been reaching out to schools to make sure educators are aware of and are ready to help bridge cultural differences 

"Understanding the hijab, the head scarf that young Muslim women pay wear to school, or understanding that they may request to take a prayer break. These simple things can make them more comfortable as they transition to a new life in our state," Soltani said.

When asked how the Afghan refugees are doing during the holiday season, Soltani said holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are completely new to the refugees, so to them it's just another day. 

But they have a big Muslim holiday that they are preparing for. 

"One thing we've been working on with Catholic Charities and the local Islamic center is the Eid holiday in May," Soltani said. "It's the first big holiday that will resonate with them more than anything."

Catholic Charities and CAIR Oklahoma are also preparing for the upcoming months and collecting donation items for winter.

If you'd like to donate winter coats, gloves, or scarves, please visit cairoklahoma.com.

Oklahoma is still expecting about 800 more refugees statewide. CAIR Oklahoma said there is a possibility that the state might be expecting even more refugees coming in, in the future.